Marist players already sold on Bower

Friday

Apr 12, 2013 at 2:00 AM

POUGHKEEPSIE — Jeff Bower left a good first impression on his future Marist men's basketball players when he met with them during the college's coaching search, and the returnees look forward to working with someone with such vast experience.

Ken McMillan

POUGHKEEPSIE — Jeff Bower left a good first impression on his future Marist men's basketball players when he met with them during the college's coaching search, and the returnees look forward to working with someone with such vast experience.

"I think it's exciting,'' Adam Kemp said of the hiring of Bower. "He has a lot of experience in the NBA for so long. I think it's exciting to have a coach like that come in. You could tell that he's been to the highest point of our game and he was there for a while. I take it as an exciting opportunity to learn from someone like that.''

Bower, who was hired by Marist this week to replace Chuck Martin, has worked in the NBA since 1995 as a head and assistant coach, general manager, advance scout and consultant. He was an assistant on the Marist staff from 1986-95 and Penn State before that.

Jay Bowie was impressed with Bower's organizational skills and believes that will extend into his practice and game preparations next season.

"He really seems like he's prepared for everything,'' Bowie said. "I really want to see what he's all about, and I really hope that he can bring to the team a sense of leadership with all of us. I am really excited about him coming here.''

The main message Chavaughn Lewis got from the Bower interview was the new coach's desire to teach.

"One thing I struggled with last year was my decision-making and also with my ball-handling skills,'' Lewis said. "I mean, working with a guy like Chris Paul, I think he can also offer a lot of help in those two areas for me.''

When Lewis inquired about Bower's game philosophies, he found them to resemble those of Martin. Bower wants his team to run, and his main emphasis to the players was playing defense, which may include trapping a lot. "That was kind of exciting,'' Lewis said.

Handling pro players and college kids are not necessarily the same, but Kemp believes Bower's past college experience will help.

"I think it might even play to his advantage,'' Kemp said, "because I know all of us want to be here and we are excited to learn from him. He is not going to have to deal with any issues like people with their own egos. Overall, since we will be so receptive in what he has to teach us, I think it'll make it easier for him.''

Lewis said the team's main problem this past season was "we didn't get everybody to buy in,'' and he hopes Bower can change that.

"If everybody comes in now wanting to learn and wanting to get better, I think we're going to have fun and we're going to learn a lot and be successful,'' Lewis said.

Martin was fired last month following five losing seasons. His departure was not easy for the players he recruited to the school.

"I was really upset and I was really disappointed because of the bond and the trust and the relationship that I built personally with coach Martin,'' Lewis said. "Coming into the program and trusting somebody, which my mom did, it was hard to see him leave like that. To accept another coach, it will be kind of difficult. But when we realize that it is not high school or AAU anymore, it's really more of a business, and then you understand this is how things go. So I accepted it, and now I'm ready to move on.''